Lotus is still in full bloom -
Bindu Dalmia, Pioneer
Is the Lotus in half-bloom? Not really. I begin with a trace of hope but tinged with deeper despair as one reflects on recent political events. Sentiments have unmistakably turned hostile towards the ruling establishment in a week’s span when a ‘post-Mods’ India was unthinkable six months back. A series of setbacks for the BJP- led NDA alliance are consequences of the by-election defeats; the images of pathos that stir one’s conscience as the multitude of satyagrahi farmers marched to Mumbai in the peaceful Kisan morcha... Read Full Article››

Looking ahead without fear -
Sandhya Jain, Pioneer
A prime ministerial interview is an occasion for the incumbent to address his constituents, not an opportunity for critics to extract their pound of flesh. In an interview to news agency, ANI, Narendra Modi tackled a range of issues with finesse. Deflecting charges of corruption in the Rafale deal, Modi made the subtle distinction that the allegations were not against him, but his Government: “If there is any allegation against me personally, let them dig who gave what, when and where and to whom”. Read Full Article››

When terror came to the House -
M Venkaiah Naidu, Indian Express
As we mark the supreme sacrifice by our security personnel and others in the diabolical attack on this day 17 years ago on the Indian Parliament, the temple of our vibrant democracy and the symbol of people’s aspirations, we not only have to strengthen our resolve to make every inch of our motherland a safer place, we also need to step up our diplomatic efforts to combat the ever-growing global menace of terrorism. We have to build stronger coalitions against this scourge that is afflicting humanity. Read Full Article››

Congress wins to redraw 2019 battle equations -
CL Manoj, Economic Times
Breaching BJP’s projected invincibility in three Hindi heartland states is likely to invigorate the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls to be held in a few months, particularly in nine states which would see a direct BJP-Congress contest for 126 Lok Sabha seats. It was the BJP’s sweeping victories against the Congress in MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Goa in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls that helped the Modi-led BJP secure a simple majorit. Read Full Article››

Road to growth: NDA beats UPA, and in less time -
Surya Sarathi Ray, Financial Express
While its ambitious national highway (NH) construction targets have been hard to reach, the NDA government has clearly outdone the previous UPA dispensation when it comes to expanding the country’s national highway network. Four-and-a-half years into its tenure, the NDA has built 33,361-km of highways, a trifle more than what UPA did in the seven years between FY-08 and FY14 (see chart). Of course, pure-play public private partnership (PPP) ventures, which had come to a grinding halt... Read Full Article››

Modi diplomacy redefining India -
Pathikrit Payne, Pioneer
Rarely in the recent past has there been any country like India which has been able to extract so many concessions from the US even while successfully meandering through American sanctions against purchase of state-of-the-art defence systems from Russia. The signing of the deal for S-400 air defence systems worth $5.43 billion earlier this month between India and Russia is significant in many ways. It is not just another deal but an exemplification of the coming of age of a regional powerhouse... Read Full Article››

Elections in five States: Grand alliance talks on hold for now -
Hari shankar vyas, Pioneer
All talks on the grand alliance of the Opposition parties have been put on the back burner for now, and no one will talk about a united front until the results of elections in five States are out. In fact, the Opposition parties are not even talking to each other about the mahagathbandhan these days. The parties, which have nothing to do with the elections in five States, say the decision on alliances will be taken only after the results. Read Full Article››

The green state of mind -
Narendra Modi, Indian Express
Yesterday, the United Nations honoured me with the ‘Champions of the Earth Award’. While I was extremely humbled at receiving this honour, I do feel that this award is not for an individual. Instead, it is a recognition of Indian culture and values, which have always placed emphasis on living in harmony with Mother Nature. It was a proud moment for every Indian to see India’s proactive role in mitigating climate change being acknowledged and appreciated by the United Nations... Read Full Article››

India-Russia reset: S-400 sovereignty test -
Manish Chand, Pioneer
Reset seems to be the reigning buzzword, and strategic autonomy the operative mantra in India’s diplomatic lexicon. In fact, it is set to be the year of diplomatic reset for India with three of its key strategic partners and major global players, including the US, Russia and China. Amid a rapidly mutating geo-strategic environment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan in April, paving the way for a new phase of post-Doklam stability in India-China relations. Read Full Article››

Press freedom and responsibility -
Venkaiah Naidu, Pioneer
Dissent is always welcome but not advocacy of disintegration. A democracy can thrive only when all shades of opinion are expressed freely. Any attempt to stifle or shut out contrarian viewpoints will stunt intellectual development. It is a singular honour for me to deliver the 3rd Justice JS Verma Memorial Lecture on ‘Freedom & Responsibility of Media in the evolving media space’. I am, therefore, thankful to the organisers for having invited me to share my views with all of you. Read Full Article››

Modi's big, clean bet -
Arun Jaitley, Economic Times
When John F Kennedy made an announcement in 1961 that the US would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade, no one thought it was possible. It did happen, eight years later. When Narendra Modi announced in 2014 that India would become open defecation free by 2019, changing the behaviour of 60 crore people who then defecated in the open, no one thought it was possible. But today, just four years later, India is on the cusp of being rid of open defecation. Read Full Article››